Opening device.



W. B. STORY.

OPENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION men NOV. :6. 191a.

Patented Dec. 11, 1917.

4 SHEETS-$HEET I.

Arron/v51 4 w. B. STORY. OPENING DEVICE.

I APPLICATION FILED NOV. I6. I9I6. 1,249,851. I I Patented Dec. 11,1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

A TTOEWE Y W. B. STORY.

OPENING DEVICE.

APHICATION FILED rmv. m, um.

Pawnwdl Wu. H, 191? Lmmm w. 8. STORY.

OPENING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED NOV- lfi. 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- Patented Dec. 11, 1917.

priirnn strarns rarrnw UFFJUUE? "WARD B. SIGRY, OFNEW YURK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN AESEMBLING MACHINE COMPANY, .Ht GUHPOBATE'IQN 01? DELAWARE.

OPENING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11, 1917.

Application filed November 16, 1916. Serial no. raters.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l WARD B. STORY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in @pening Devices, of which the following is a specification. p

This invention relates generally to opening devices for folded paper sections and is particularly designed for use in connection with newspaper assembling machines.

in the art of assembling or stuffing newspapers as recently practised the most successful devices have embodied members movable toward and from each other for acting on an intermediate folded paper section supported in a vertical position with its fold lowermost. to first initially open the paper section and then engage the initially separated parts of the section and move them away from each other to complete the opening of the section. Opening devices of this general type are shown in Patents No. 1,202,270 October 191s and N0. 1,202,914i, October 31. 1916. The principal object of this invention is to produce an improved and simplified device, of the general type re ferred to, for opening folded paper sections with a greater certainty of operation and at a. greatly increased speed.

Having in. view this general object, the invention consists partly in the provision of means for making use of an air blast as a feature of the opening operation; in mounting the mechanism for performing the initial separating operation on one of the opening members and actuating it by the direct thrust of the opposite member and without the use of an especially pro vided actuating means; and in providing means for stretching one of the folds of the section taut to facilitate the opening of the remaining section. Other features of the invention will be referred to as the specification proceeds.

in the accompanying drawing, in which the invention is disclosed in a concrete and preferred form, like reference characters are used to designate like parts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a portion. of a machine embodying the inventioin ing one of the opening devices.

Flg. 5 1s a. transverse vertical sectional view of the opening device looking in the direction of the arrow at Fig. 4'.

6 represents a t ansverse vertical section of the machine taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

F g. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of'l ig. 1.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention chosen for illustration there is shown an opening apparatus of the general type already referred to, in which opening members are provided which are movable toward and from each other for acting on an inten mediate folded paper section, supported in a vertical position with its folded edge lowermost, to first initially open the paper sec tion and then to engage the initially sep arated folds ofthe section and move them outwardly away from each other to complete thcopening of the section. In this invention means for utilizing a blast of air in the opening operation have been incorporated, as well as improved mechanism for initially opening the paper section, and means for stretching one of the folds of the folded paper section taut in order to facilitate the buckling of the remaining fold to initially open the section. The opening mechanism described is particularly adapted tobe used in connection with the assembling machine disclosed in application Serial No. ldltli l iiled ltov. 16 1916. p

In 1 of the drawing a side elevation is shown of a machine showing the general organization of the device. The principal operating parts are represented generally by a movable supporting member 1 on which the lowermost folded edge of the paper section rests as it passes down through the machine from the feeding mechanism located overhead and represented generally by the feed rolls 2 shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. As the paper passes down betweenthe guide members 3 the vertical folded edges thereof pass by a nozzle lof the air blast pipe 5 through which air isblown between thesides of the folded paper section to straighten out the leaves of the section, to remove wrinkles and folds therefrom and to prevent the collapse of the section. The folded paper section continues to be fed downwardly be tween the guide members 12 and thence between the separated rear paper clamps 7 and the separated opening members or jaws 8 and 9 to its position of rest on the supporting members 1. The opened position of the jaws 8 and 9 is indicated at the right hand of Fig. 2 of the drawing and it will be seen that a pair of feeding-out rollers 10 and 11 also take a separated position along with the opening members 8 and 9 so that no obstruction is presented to the free movement of the paper section until it reaches the supporting members 1.

f Proi'nptly upon the arrival of the paper section in this position, an inward movement is given to the rear paper section supporting clamps 7 and to the opening members 8 and 9. The clamping action of the members 7 serves to smooth out and support the rearmost portion of the paper section and to hold the section as a whole in a firm upright position. The inward movement of the opening members 8 and 9 serves, as in the device shown in Patent No. 1,202,914, already referred to, to initially open the intermediatel held paper section as the members close in on it. Having accomplished the initial openingof the paper section in the inward movement, the opening members now act to engage the initially separated partsof the paper section and swing outwardly to complete the opening of this end of the paper section. At the same timeythe rear supporting clamps 7 also swing apart whereupon the air continuously blowing from the nozzle 4, entering between the folds at. their front separated end, forces them apart tl'i-roughout their length. At the same time. the guide members 12 are swung downwardly between the upper edges of the opened. section through the reciprocating movement of the rods 90 and this movement I is accompanied by the downward sweep of the two pairs of guiding members, or blades 12 to insure the complete separation of the folds of the paper section and to guide the descending insert into place in the opened section.

It will be seen that this operation has included the initial straightening out of the folded paper section by means of a blast of air as a section passes downwardly to a position of rest on the supporting member 1. This step was followed by the clamping of the rearmost part of the paper between the rear supporting clamps 7' and the initial opening of the folded front edges of the section as the opening members 8 and 9 were brought to. closed position. The next step was the separation of both the rear supporting clamps 7 and the movable members 8 and 9 to complete the opening of the front portion of the paper section with the aid of the air blast issuing from the nozzle l whereupon the innnediate operation oi the blades 12 guided the descending insert into place.

The niechanisn'i which is carried by the opening members 8 and 9 "for initially and then finally opening the paper sections follows in a general way tl corresponding mechanism shown in the Patent No. l 202.911 but dili'ers therefrom in some parlicula By reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing. it will be seen that a pair of openin devices are provided which are arranged to be operated inv alternation. The opening mem here 8 and 9 of the two opening devices A and B are pivoted on the shafts 13 and ll. The hub oi the opening member 9 of the opening device A has extending horixonl ally therefrom in opposite directions the arms 1.1" and 1G. The arm 15 is arranged to be connected to a vertical reciprocating rod 17 which is designed to operate both opening devices A and B. The other arm 16 engages through a pin and slot connection 18 with the end of the COIIKZSPOiltllllg arm 1.) projecting from the lllli) of the opening mci'nbcr 9 of the opening device ll. In addition to the described connection between the two opening devices there are shown connecting rods 20 and 21 which connect the outside movable members of the two openingdcviccs to each other and the inside opening members of the two opening devices to each other so that the opening members are caused to operate in unison. It will be seen therefore that an operation of the operating arm 15 which will move the opening member 9 of the openingdevice it of Fig. 2 to closed position will cause a simultaneous move ment the opening member 9 of the other opening device B to an open position through the operative connection between the arms 16 and 19. The movement of the movable member 9 or the opening device A to the right causes through the connecting rod 21 a corresponding movement of: the movable member 8 of the other opening dc vice B to the right. or its closed position. Also the movement of the opening member 9 of the opening device B to the right. or its open position, causes a corresponding movement of the movable member 8 of the opening device A to the right. or its closed posi 1 tion. through the connecting rod 20.

That feature of the invention which comprises means for performing the initial opening of the folded paper section preferably takes the form of a buckling member. or roller, 25 which is provided with a friction paper engaging surface and is adapted to be rocked upon its axis as it engages the paper section to thereby cause a lmckling of the fold of the section with which indirectly till engages. The buckling roller 25 is preferably supported in a bracket 26 which is pivc t-ally mounted on the rod 27 carried by the movable member 9 of each of the opening devices. The bracket 26 which carries the buckling roller 25 is preferably normally held in an upright position by means of a spring 28 acting against a fixedcollar 29 on the rod 30 which is attached to the bracket 26 at 31. The bracket 32 carried by the framework provides a stop member for the lower end of the spring 28 and a slide-- way through which the rod 30 mayoperate. lit will be seen that an upright position of the bracket 26 will cause a corresponding projection of the buckling roller 25 to the left, or to a position whereitwill be extended beyond the face ofthe opening member upon which it is carried so that it will engage the paper section before the supporting member has arrived at the limit of its closing movement. Theprovision of the spring 28 provides, however, for the yielding movement of the buckling member when it encounters the thrust of the opposing opening member 8. In addition to the pivoted supporting bracket 26 which carries the buckling roller 25, there is provided also a link member 23 pivoted at 24.- on the movable member 9 and connected at its upper end to a horizontal link 34 which is pivoted in turn to the upper end of the pivoted bracket 26. It will be seen that a parallel. motion is thus provided which will direct the bodily movement of the buckling roller into engagement with the paper engaging member of the opening n'iember 8, which is preferably pivotally mounted so that it can. adjust itself to the surface of the paper section. In order to turn the buckling member about its own axis in order to give the roller a movement relative to the paper section in order to buckle the same, a rigid arm 35 extending upwardly from. the movable member 9 is connected through a link 36 with a crank 3'? attached toene end of the shaft 38 on which the buckling roller 25 is mounted. It will be seen that by this ar rangeinent the bodily movement of the buckling roller to the right will provide a rela tive movement of the crank 37 about its axis thereby giving a rotative movement to the buckling roller 25. At the same time that the buckling member was moving into on gagement with the paper section the clamp ing l'llGlIll'lBl 56, formed by the end of the bracket 32 carried on the member 9, was moved into position to clamp the paper section between. the member 56 and the yielding clamping member 54-. The clamping rnemher 54 is preferably pivoted on the rod 2? carried by the opening member 8 and in swinging rearwardly about its pivot on the rod 2? has the elfect of drawing taut the fold of the paper section engaged thereby,

as is clearly shown in Fig. 5. This pulling effect is secured by the downwardly rubbing action of the face of the clamping member 24 and is useful in that it assists in confining the buckling action solely to the unstretched fold.

The folded paper section having been initially opened by the operation just dc scribed, the completion of the opening operation is-now performed. As a preliminary to this operation the reciprocating fingers 39 are projected into the opening 40 between the folds of the paper section which was produced by the buckling operation as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The means for bringing about this step in the operation comprises the reciprocating linger supporting blocks ll slidably carried by the rods 27 as shown in Fig. 1. The blocks 41 have extensions cotiperating with a guideway formed in the are-shaped laterally extending guide member 4:2. The provision ofthis de vice provides for the lateral movement of the two rods 27 as they are carried to and from each other by the corresponding movement of the opening members by which they are supported. The provision of the guide n'ieinber'i2 serves also as a means for giving a. reciprocating movement to the fingers 39 parallel to the rods 27. The movement of the guide member 412 is brought about through the vertical. reciprocation of a rod d3 which rocks a bell crank 44- about its pivot and thereby transmits movement to a link d5 connecting the end of the bell crank 4+ and a connecting member 46, see Fig. 2, carried by the guide member 42. It will be seen that While the reciprocating fingers of one opening device are operated by the arrangement just described, the reciprocating fingers of the other opening device are operated by the corresponding recipro eating rod 4:7 and a bell crank 48 acting through a link 49 and a connecting member 50. This dilference in the arrangentient of the operating devices for the two sets of reciprocating fingers provides for the alternate operation of the two devices, by a movement of the vertical operating rods and ll in the same direction. It will be obvious that it is necessary to cause one set of fingers to be projected into position while the other set is being withdrawn therefrom in the alternate operation of the two opening devices. i

The preliminary outward movement of the opening members serves to clamp the paper section between the holding devices 51. and and the adjacent lingers 39. Both the clamping members 51 and 52ers held out of paper engaging position while the opening members are in closed positionbut are spring pressed to position to grip the paper against'the sides of the fingerslll, with the beginning? of the movement of the openia es r inginemters to separated-position. In order to hold the clamping member 51 out of paper engaging position during the huekling operation, an extension 53 from the clamping member 51 is arranged to be engaged and pushed rearwardly by the lower yielding Clamping member 54 acting through the adjustable stop screw 55 seated in the lower end of the extension 53.

An expansionspring 57 mounted on the bolt 58 exert a thrust against the laterally extending arm 59 of the clamping member 51 thereby tending to move this clamping member, as well as the lower one 54, through the extension 53, to a projected position. The'nuts 59 threaded on the upper end of the bolt 58 provide a convenient means for regulating the thrust exerted by the spring. A second spring 60 mounted on the end of the bolt 58 which extends below the fixed supporting lug 61 exerts a thrust against the abutment 62' on the lower clamping member 54-. An adjustable collar 63 on the rod 58 forms a suitable abutment for the upper end of the Spring. An adjustable stop screw 106 coiiperates with a ing 107 on the clamping member 54 to limit the forward projection of the clamping member.

In order to remove the clamping member 52 from paper engaging position this clamping-member is preferably mounted on an arm 52 carried by the shaft 38 of the huekling roller 25 so that the clamping member 52 is swung rearwardly to retracted position with the turning of the buckling member about its axis as the opening members 8 and 9 close in on each other. It will be clear that the thrust of the spring 28 on the pivoted bracket 26 will have the effect of swinging the buckling member 25 together with the clamping member 52 to normal position as the opening member 9 begins its swinging movement away from closed position.

In the operation of the device the initial swinging apart of the opening members 8 and 9 permits the springs 57 and 28 to swing the respective clamping members 5 1 and 52 into position to clamp the folds of the paper section into engagement with the fingers 39, as has been noted, and the immediately following outward swinging movement of the opening members serves to carry the folds of the corresponding end of the paper section to its completely separated position. This operation is accompanied by the opening of the rear paper section clampmembers 7 which permits the stream of. air blowing from the nozzle 4: to separate the folds of the-paper section from end to end. The immediate swinging of the guiding blades 12 downwardly between the separated folds of. the paper section directs the insert sections into place, whereuponthe reciproeating fingers 39 are withdrawn from their clamping engagementwith the folds of the paper section and the released and com pletely assembled paper is gripped between the feedingout rolls 10 and 11 and discharged downwardly between the guide strips 66.

The feeding-out rolls 10 are preferably mounted to rotate with a shaft 67 on which they are carried and which is driven through a suitable coupling connection as shown at 68 in Fig. 1 from any suitable drive shaft (39. The shafts 67 are preferably carried on the arms 70 which are adapted to be rocked in unison by the jointed operating rods 71 driven from any uitable source of movement through the arm 72. One of the rods 71 preferably passes freely through lugs 78 carried on the sides of the rear pair of arms 70 and carries the springs 7a which provide for a yielding movement of the arms 70 in one direction.

The idle feeding-out rollers 11 are carried on rock arms 75 carried by the rock shaft 76. The arms 75 are also arranged to be operated by the operating rod 71 which is pivotally connected to the arms 96 at 77 whereby the shaft 76 and arms 75 are rocked. It will be seen that the arms 75 which carry the feeding out rollers 10 are in effect levers of the first class while the other two arms which carry the driven feeding-out rollers 11 are levers of the third class, so that an arrangement has been provided whereby the single operating rod 71 is enabled to operate both sets of feeding-out rollers in alternation, in correspondence with the operation. of the opening members 8 and 9.

In order to direct the paper sections to the opening devices in alternation and in accordance with their opening movement, a switch 80 has been provided which is adapted to be swung from one side to the other to direct the papers which. are being fed through the passageways 81 to the switch channel 81 either to the branch passage 82 or 83 to the corresponding opening device. Preferably, in the normal operation of the device, cover sections are fed from either passageway 81 into the switch channel 81 in alternation with insert sections which are simultaneously fed from both passageways 81 into an associated relation in the switch channel. In the timing of the parts the switch 80 is swung to the opposite side of the switch channel immediately following the passage of a cover section therctln'ongh.

The cover section is fed down through the branch passage 82 or 83-to the corresponding spring device which is at this moment in its open POSltlOIL' Meanwhile the following insert section which was directed into the other branch passage is similarly fed downwardly into a cover section which has been opened to receive it. The passage of htl titl

inmost the insert section into place is followed by the feeding through the same branch passage of a cover section before the position of the switch is changed and this cover section drops into place between the opened jaws of the opening device immediately following the discharge of an assembled paper therefrom, the ejecting rollers and 11 being brought to operating position, while the opening members 8 and 9 remain in their opened position. the operation just de scribed takes place alternately in one or the other opening devices in accordance with each reversal of the switch 80, as will be 0bvious. The switch is driven in any suitable manner through thearm 8-1 and reciprocating rod in properly timed relation with the remaining moving parts. 'lhe feed rolls t lt are preferably driventhrough interme diate pinions at which cotiperate with feed rolls 58 to feed the paper sections through the channels 812. and p llhe inannbr of operating the paper supporting members 1 is best shown in .b igs. l and h of the drawing. 'llhe supporting members 1 are pivotally mounted on the shafts to which carry the feeding-out roller supporting arms la' and each of the members 1 has an upwardly extending lug 91 carryii'ig a roller 9:3 adapted to be engaged by the end of one of the operating arms 93. the arms 99 are pivotally mounted on vertical axes as at 91 and each has a lug extending beyond the pivot for engagement by one of the arms 96 mounted on the rock shaft 76 and adapted to be operated by the connection with the operating rod 71. It will be seen that each of the arms 93 can thus be swung about its pivot 9-1- to cause the end thereof to engage the roller 9:2 carried by the lug 91 of the supporting member 1 and thereby swing the supporting member into or out of sumiorting position.

"lhe specific mechanism for operating the 7a 781 su J iortin clam is 7 which are 3referably mounted on spring pressed plungers 101, is best shown in .lfig. 6 of the drawing; This mechanism follows veryclosely the coin struction of the mechanism for OPC-ll'tttll'ig the opening members 8 and 9 illustrated in fig. 2.

'lhe arms 96 and 9? which carry the clamping members 7 are pivotally mounted on the stud shafts 98 projecting from the rear framework-of the machine. 'lhchub of the arm 97 of the opening device it has extending horizontally therefrom the arms 99 and 109. The arm 99connectsto a vertically reciprocating drive rod 101. The other arm 100 engages through a pin andslot connection at 102 with an arm 103 projecting from the hub of the clampcarrying arm of the opening device B and thereby conveys 1notion to the right-hand set of clamps. The

arms 96' of the device A and the arm 9? of the opening device B are respectively connected together by means of the link 106 and the arm 96' of the device B and the arm 97 of the device A are connected togetherby the lug 105 so that the arms of the two opening devices are caused to operate in unison. It; will be seen. that a movement of the operating arm 99 that will swing the arm 97 of the opening device A to closedposition will, through the connection of the arms 100 and 103,1'nove the right-hand arm 97 to open position. Also the movement of the arm 97 of the openii'ig device 13 to open position will. pull the arm 96 of the opening device A to the right, orits closed position, through the link. 106 as will be obvious. Ar correspond ing movement of thearm 97 of the device ft. to open position will close the arm 96 of the device B through the link 105.

What is claimed, is:

1. An opening device comprising: means movable toward and from each other and toward and from an intermediate folded paper section, said means including devices for engaging and clutching the respective folds of the paper section whereby the paper section will be opened as the movable means move away from each other, and means for directing a blast of air into the opening between the folds of the section to assist in the opening thereof.

2. An opening device comprising: means movable toward and from an intermediate folded paper section, said means including devices for engaging and clutching a comparatively restricted area of the respective folds of the paper section whereby the paper section will be opened at the engaged portion as the movable means move away from each other, and means for directing a blast of air into the opening between the folds of the section to assist in the opening thereof.

3. An opening device comprising: means movable toward and from each other and toward and from one end of an intermediate" folded paper section including devices for openlng the end of the, section, means for mtroducing a blast of air between the folds at the opened end of the section to open the pull 0 intermediate folded paper section, said aws including devices for clutching the respective folds of the paper section, means for swinging the aws apart to thereby form an opening between the folds of the sect on, and means for directing ablast of air into the opening to completely open the section. 6. An opening device comprisin jaws for closing against the opposite folds of an intermediate folded paper section, said jaws including devices for initially separating the folds of the section as the jaws move to closed position, said jaws also including devices for clutching the initially separated folds of the paper section, means forswinging the jaws apart to thereby form an opening between the folds of the section, and means for directing a blast of air into the opening to completely open the section.

7. An opening device comprisin movable members arranged to be closed'against the opposite folds of an intermediate folded P 1126 section, said members including devices for clutching the respective folds of the paper section, means for moving the members apart to thereby form an opening between the folds of the section, means for directing a blast of air into the opening to completely open the section, and means ar ranged to move into the opened sect-ion to guide an insert into place therein.

8. An opening device comprising: means for supporting a folded paper section in a vertiealposition with its fold lowermost, means movable toward and from each other and the intermcdiately supported paper section and'including devices for initially opening the folded paper section as the movable means approach each other, and means carried by said movable means for clamping the folds of the initially opened section to the movable means, whereby the paper section is completely opened as the movable means move away from each other, and means for blowing a stream of air between -t l i e fold s of tl e 'section as the movable means move apart.

A paper section opening apparatus comprising: two opening devices, each opening device including a pair of opening members movable'toward and from each other, and means for causing the members of one opening device to move to closed position as the members of the other opening device move to opened position and vice versa.

10. A paper section opening apparatus omprisi'ng'ftwo opening'devices, each opening device including a pair of jaws movable to and from each other, and means interconnecting the jaws of the two opening devices so that the movement of one pair of jaws to closed position moves the other pair of jaws to openposition and vice versa.

11. A paper section opening apparatus comprising: two opening devices mounted side by side, each opening device including a pair of jaws movable to and from each other and generally to and from the jaws of the other device, and means connecting the adjacent jaws of the two devices to each other and the remaining jaws of the two devices to each other, whereby the movement of one pair of jaws to closed position moves the other pair of jaws to open position and vice versa.

12. An opening device comprising: mcnibers movable to and from with relation to each other and to an intermediate folded paper section, means carried by said members for stretching one fold of said paper section taut, and means carried by said members for buckling the remaining fold of said paper section to initially open the paper section.

13. An opening device comprising: mcnibers movable to and from with relation to each other and to an intermediate folded paper section, and means carried by said members for clamping said folded paper section adjacent the folded edge and adjacent the open edge, the clamping moans engaging the folded edge of said section being operable to stretch one of the folds of said section taut, and the clamping means engaging the open edge of the section being operable to buckle the remaining fold, whereby the section is initially opened.

14. An opening device comprising: members movable to and from with relation to each other and to an intermediate folded paper section, and means carried by said members for clamping said folded paper section adjacent the folded edge and adjacent the open edgc, the clamping means for engaging one fold of the section near the folded edge being movable outwardly toward the folded edge to stretch the engaged fold taut, and the clamping means for engaging the remaining fold of thc section near the open edge being movable inwardly away from the open edge to buckle the lastnamed fold, whereby the paper section is initially opened.

15. An opening dcvico comprising: members movable toward and from each other and an intermediate folded paper section, means carried by said members for stretching one fold of said paper section taut, means carried by said members for buckling the remaining fold of said section to initially open the section, and means for completing the opening of the section.

16. An opening apparatus for a paper assembling machine comprising: means movable to and from with relation to each other and to an intermediate folded paper section, and an opening device carried by one of said members and movable with relation thereto to initially open the paper section as the members move to the paper engaging position, the movement oi? said opening device relative to the member on which it is mounted being eti'ected by the direct thrust of the other member.

17. An opening apparatus for a paper assembling' machine comprising: movable to and from with relation to each other and to an intermediate folded paper section, a pivotally mounted opening" device carried by one 01 said members for ini members tially opening the paper section as the members move to paper engaging; position, the opening device being arranged to move with relation to the member on which it is mounted as it encounters the thrust of the other member, and means for rocking the opening device 011 its pivot as it moves With relation to its supporting member.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 13th day of November A. D. 1916.

WVARD B. STORY.

tjopiea of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. Q. 

